Teach Primary Issue 18.6

A rt and design is a beautiful subject: an area of the curriculum where we encourage children to embrace their individuality and communicate through their own unique works of art. In order to do so, they need to feel safe and comfortable during the creative process and be encouraged to explore, experiment and take risks. Unfortunately, the idea of having a work of art marked, or a sketchbook exploration critiqued, can thwart this desire and create unnecessary feelings of anxiety in the classroom. There is a need to approach assessment in art and design carefully, with a specific purpose in mind and with a clear understanding of its subjective nature. The art world is huge, encompassing a multitude of disciplines, tools and media. Often, artists develop love and expertise in only a few areas of this vast expanse, so to attempt to assess and label a child’s achievement across the whole art spectrum seems out of touch with the subject in the real world. Different strokes One child may excel in creating detailed life-like observational drawings but struggle to think creatively; 60 | www.teachwire.net ART Assessing Adele Darlington explores ways to track pupil progress without stifling enthusiasm, creativity or confidence but all without labelling children as working towards, expected or greater depth. We need to be aware of each child’s starting point and work with them through careful assessment and feedback to help them progress. In primary art and design, there are a few key areas that pupils should make progress in, and these are where teachers need to focus their assessment. It’s important that pupils are taught specific skills in using tools and media, as well as a selection of different artistic processes, in at least the disciplines of drawing, painting and sculpture. Alongside these skills and processes, children also need to be able to articulate themselves as artists using subject-specific vocabulary and with disciplinary understanding. It also goes without saying that we want children to retain key knowledge relating to the theoretical aspects of the subject, such as artist names, artworks or art styles. Sketching it out When planning to teach units of work, be clear what it is you want pupils to achieve. “Children need to feel safe and comfortable during the creative process and be encouraged to explore, experiment and take risks” another may have amazing abstract visions, telling incredible stories with a brush and paint but find the mastery of sketching techniques a challenge. So, how do we decide which one is the better artist? We don’t! That would be like comparing celebrated artists such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas, Amoako Boafo or Kelvin Okafor. They’re all worthy of praise and admiration in their own right, but it’s impossible to claim one is better or more talented than the other because, aside from their skills, the artwork is seen differently by different people. With this in mind, it’s essential that we value and celebrate each child’s personal progress and successes. We need to admire and support the unique journeys of our developing artists. A blank canvas The fact that there are no national exemplifications in the subject makes it difficult to shoehorn pupils into attainment categories as would happen in other areas of the curriculum. But assessing, knowing and understanding our pupils as artists is still necessary – just different. It helps us celebrate achievements, recognise strengths, widen skillsets and plan for progression –